Take 5

There are moments when it seems from out of nowhere a comment, a thought, another problem, an email, a call strikes leaving a sting, a barb that begins to fester.  The proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. It’s taking you down fast. In Acts 28, the apostle Paul, his companions, shipmates, fellow prisoners, soldiers, and sailors have all been washed up on the beach at Malta. They are battered, wet, cold and glad to be alive. They have survived a long horrific storm culminating in a shipwreck that plunged them all into breakers pounding the coast.   By the grace of God they are safe.   They gather their strength and build a fire to keep warm. Paul tosses more driftwood onto the fire only to have a viper who had been asleep in the wood wake with the heat and fasten itself to his arm.  What does Paul do?  I know what I would have done – I would have screamed, hoped someone would remove the thing and then probably done a dramatic swoon. Okay, ...

I have just come in from mowing the lawns marveling once again at the tenacity, the perniciousness of the daisies, even in the middle of winter.  Their smiling faces keep popping up regardless of how many times the lawn mower cuts off their heads.  Invariably, as soon as I finish the lawns, there they are again smiling cheerfully and waving in the breeze.  Actually, I really like the daisies in the lawn. I so appreciate their ability to pick themselves up and come back.  They demonstrate to me, the power of resilience.  Resilience is an “in” word at present.   It is the ability to bounce back after stress, trauma, and hardship. It is the ability to cope with crisis and carry on. Whilst previous generations have learned and practiced resilience our own generation appears to be lacking in this essential character quality. I’m not sure you can suddenly produce resilience. I believe resilience is the by-product of developing faith and hope.   The ...

I perched on the edge, my legs dangling into space, and looked down – what was I thinking? A voice in my ear said “Jump!” Taking a deep breath, I jumped – out of the plane into a crazy, adrenaline, wild, free-fall. Arms and legs out wide, face squashed by the force of the fall. It was exhilarating, freezing and brilliant!   Arms came around in front of me and pointed to the altimeter on their wrist indicating that the parachute was about to be pulled. With a jerk, our descent was slowed and we drifted down, taking in the incredible view as we did.   As the ground came nearer the voice in my ear told me to lift my legs as the experienced parachuter I was tied in tandem to, lowered his legs to touch down and take the brunt of the landing.   That parachute jump was the best!!   As crazy and as exhilarating as it was, it is also a great image to describe faith. In my previous blog, Navigating Uncertainty Part II, I wrote about faith being likened to a hammock and bei...

Grappling with uncertainty, or a fear of the future is not an easy task. Being rational and logical goes out the door when a vivid imagination gets underway. I know, I have one of those! The daily doses of “The News” doesn’t help either. Watching chaos erupt around us adds to the sense of being small boats battered in an angry storm with worst case scenarios, maybes and what ifs, washing over us. It’s not long before fear holds us in a vice-like grip. We respond out of fear, we hold back paralysed with uncertainty. Does that sound familiar?   In “Navigating Uncertainty”, I referred to the need to find a “fixed point of certainty” just as the ancient mariners used the certainty of the stars, moon and sun to navigate their way.   That “fixed point” I suggested is faith in God. Jesus told his fearful disciples in John 14 to not be troubled or afraid by what will come but rather “ to believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him ” (John 14:1 AMP).   Jesus also sai...